Virtual Dutch

Contact:Department:

Overview

The purpose of this project was to design and develop a subtitling and caption system that uses a time-code generated transcript, and allows the user to easily read and follow a text transcript of a spoken, Dutch foreign language audio track.

Details

The project has provided a useful addition to one of our beginners' study packs. Similar files can now be created for other packs at limited cost. The educational value of the project consists in the combination of the spoken word and the view of the written word as it is read out. Especially at beginners' level this creates a useful tool to help vocabulary acquisition and reading skills. The project has provided a template for the creation of synchronized audio files and written text that can be used for a large number of languages.

Products, Outputs & Outcomes

The project has furthered expertise in the development of learning materials, promoted innovation in technology-enhanced language learning, and provided an additional learning resource for a lesser-taught language. The pilot could easily be expanded to all the other twenty or so multimedia selfstudy packs on the Virtual Dutch site. The model could also be used to synchronise sound and the written word in texts in any language using a left-to-right script.